


Savior

by ravenett3



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Attempted Sexual Assault, Businessperson Levi (Shingeki no Kyojin), F/F, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Gay Male Character, Levi is a Little Shit (Shingeki no Kyojin), M/M, Modern Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan, Multi, Multiple Pairings, Protective Levi (Shingeki no Kyojin), Sexual Assault, Sexual Content, Sexual Tension, Subways, Top Mike Zacharias, miches nose is strOng, uhhh miche is bae
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-30
Updated: 2021-01-23
Packaged: 2021-03-10 21:07:38
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 6
Words: 19,608
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28443666
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ravenett3/pseuds/ravenett3
Summary: in which two males get to know each other anonymously on a train.
Relationships: Krista Lenz | Historia Reiss/Ymir, Levi (Shingeki no Kyojin)/Original Male Character(s), Mike Zacharias/Original Male Character(s), Reiner Braun/Original Male Character(s)
Comments: 16
Kudos: 9





	1. The Subway.

**Author's Note:**

> hello there. this is mostly mike zachariusxmale!character. but like...im adding some spiciness and drama into it bc it would be boring without drama :D. idk how this is gonna go so uh...bare with me? lol. enjoy (:

"shit shit shit .." aris continued to whisper a string a curse words while rushing out of the door. he grabbed his keys, his phone, and his work bag, shoving his laptop in it roughly. 

aris quartet. a 24 year old senior college student who works as a secretary for a particularly _short_ tempered man. he goes to his morning and early noon classes and rushes over to his job right after his last class because _somehow_ , his boss knows when his classes end. to where he arranges his schedule to start right after his last classes. 

luckily his work is near his school so he doesn't rush too much to the point where he sweats. his boss _hates_ when people are sweaty. 

reiner stared at his roommate running around the house like a cat chasing a mouse, amused at the sight. "i always tell you to get up earlier so you won't be rushing out the door but you never listen do ya?!" aris could only roll his eyes, not having enough time to reply with a smart comeback. 

"it's your turn to cook tonight! i'll be home at 8pm!" the scattered male yelled as he ran down the hall, making a beeline to the door. reiner could only smile, waving him off. 

"see you later cutie. don't overwork yourself!" aris smiled at his roommate before closing the door behind him and ran down the wide corridor, towards the elevator. he repeatedly pressed the lobby floor button.

aris and reiner have been roommates for almost 2 years now. they met at the cafe where reiner works one morning and aris was currently looking for another person to split the rent with. when he had seen reiner, he wanted to befriend him immediately. he had this cold but warm aura radiate from him. soft but secure. serious but .. _silly_. aris knew right away he was the one and gave him his number the same day. ever since, they have grown quite close. 

closer than aris thinks. 

aris walked with a brisk pace out of his apartment building and took a left. thank god the train station was near where he lived. he estimated it to be a 5 minute walk.

but aris definitely didn't have 5 minutes. he sprinted pass people and rushed down the subway stairs, using his card to get past the gate. 

_"TRAIN A-27 DOORS CLOSING IN 1 MINUTE. STAND CLEAR OF THE CLOSING DOORS. "_

"wait wait! hold the doors!' aris yelled, his black high-tops slamming against the metal and concrete flooring. he practically said _fuck it!_ and as he saw the doors close, he sucked in a breath and jump right through the small, closing gap, almost falling into the metal holding pole that connected the floor and the ceiling of the train.

a deep sigh escaped his lips as he held onto the pole, resting his head against the cool metal. he felt a vibration in his jacket pocket and pulled out his phone, smiling as a text from his roommate appears on his phone screen.

_**Blonde Warrior** _

_**i hope you miss your train, lazy ass.** _

aris laughed and grinned to himself before quickly replying. 

**_luckily i made it within seconds tough guy. text you later <3_ **

_**Blonde Warrior** _

_**later babe (;** _

the brunette playfully rolled his eyes, only smiling at reiners flirty personality before putting his phone back in his jacket pocket. he carefully looked around the train car, seeing some people sleeping, some texting, and some just lost in their thoughts. 

aris checked his watch for the time, seeing as he was now back on schedule. his fingers stayed wrapped around the holding pole as he looked down at his shoes, beginning to think about what reiner was going to make for dinner. 

so suddenly, his thoughts were cut short by a certain touch by a certain thing.

a hand. a hand had grazed over his backside. his breath caught in his throat and his eyes darted around without moving his head. 

_was this really happening? was he really getting assaulted on a train right now?_ he never thought he had to worry about himself being touched like this since he was ..a _male_. 

not that males can't be victims too.

his heart thumped rapidly in his chest as the hand felt up the back of his thigh. aris's shoulders slowly tensed up, his honey brown eyes glued to the floor. he didn't want to make a scene and he definitely didn't want to meet with his predator. 

he gasped quietly as the hand moved further up his backside. tears lightly glazing over aris's eyes, his knuckles turning bone white as he tightened his grip on the pole.

the hand gripped his ass, making aris whimper quietly under his breath. his opposite hand gripped the strap of his work bag. but just a second after, there was movement behind aris, making him stagger a bit. 

he straightened up his posture before realizing the hand wasn't touching him anymore and a warm aura radiated from behind him. someone slid in between him and his predator. 

the man leaned down next to aris's nape and ear, breathing in deeply through his nose. this action made aris tense up again. 

_another one?_

"are you alright?" 

a voice suddenly spoke behind aris, snapping him back to reality. aris nodded slowly.

"where are you headed?" the voice asked again in a low, soft tone. aris swallowed the lump in his throat before finally answering. 

"i— ..i'm heading to class .." aris whispered loud enough to where only the taller man behind him could hear. a light chuckle escaped the man's mouth, making aris's cheeks get warm. 

his voice sent a chill down aris's spine. _hopefully_ it wasn't noticeable. 

"you're a uni student?" aris nodded again. several seconds passed before the man spoke again.

"miche. miche zacharius, yours?" the tense brunette slowly began to relax his shoulders, turning his head only slightly to the side to hear miche better. _did he want to see his face? no ..not yet at least._

"a—aris ..aris quartet. nice to meet you ..thank you for—" aris paused. did this man save him? protect him? "..saving me." the edge of miche's mouth curved upward just a little before humming in response. 

"i wasn't going to stand and watch that disgusting pig do that to you, mr.quartet." the smaller male felt his face get hotter from hearing his name come out of the man's mouth. who was this man? why did he help aris?

_"TRAIN A-27 IS NOW STOPPING. PLEASE STAND CLEAR OF THE OPENING DOORS. "_

aris felt miche's presence slowly withdraw, making him lift his head. 

"hey wait ..thank you ag—" but the second aris turned, miche was gone. he watched as people began to walk off the train for several seconds before sighing, walking off the train himself. 

he lifted his hand and let his fingers graze over his nape where miche sniffed, pursing his lips together as he walked to the university campus. 

°°°

_"ariiis."_

the brunette puffed his cheeks as his classmate, connie, continued to shake his shoulder, whining his name loudly. a result was them catching the eyes of others in the class. 

aris sheepishly smiled at others before flicking connie's forehead, grabbing his hand to prevent his friend from shaking him any further. he glared at connie before leaning back in his chair, opening his laptop. 

"i just ..i don't know connie. i don't even know what the guy looks like. but, i felt safe around him." aris could feel a smile creeping onto his lips at the thought is mike's voice, subtly covering his mouth with his sleeve-covered hand. 

connie huffed loudly and slumped in his chair, chewing the inside of his cheek in disappointment. connie swiftly flipped a black ink pen between his fingers as he turned on his laptop. 

"at least tell me the name of your knight and shining armor. did you atleast get his name?" aris breathed in slowly and closed his eyes, trying desperately not to blush. he turned his head to his short haired friend and grabbed his pen with a cheeky smile.

" _wha_ —" connie started. 

"his name ..is miche. happy? now let me focus please." connie mimicked aris in a higher pitch before mumbling an _'alright alright..'_ and opened the web browser on his computer. 

the brunette watched as his professor walked in, some of the girls giggling. 

"morning class." the professor loudly spoke, setting down his jacket on the back of his chair. 

"good morning professor smith." the students greeted, making the professor smile softly. he clasped his hands together, his blue eyes scanning over his students.

"alright, lets get started shall we?" aris took out his notebook and wrote the date in the upper right hand corner of the blank page, patiently waiting for his teacher to start talking. 

he may have been in class physically. but his mind, was definitely thinking of something else. 

or rather, _someone else._

°°°°°

_1499_

_hey (; hope you liked the 1st chap/introduction._

_sorry for any typoss_

_later weebs._

_december 30th, 11:23pm_

_e.s_


	2. Pretty Boy.

"rewrite it dammit. all of it." the ravenette pinched the bridge of his nose, sighing. his employees stood at his desk and took a glance at each other before silently arguing about speaking up first. 

"b—but sir ..the deadline is friday. that gives us only two days to rewrite the whole thing and—" they were cut short.

"get to it then. get out." the man shooed them off before picking up his tea in quite a peculiar way, sipping it silently as he heard his door close. he exhaled gently and set down his beverage, rubbing his temples slowly. my god the amount of stress he was in made him want to slice everyones neck. 

levi ackerman. a 35 year old business man who looks way younger than he is. the ceo of the biggest companies in the country. he is a _major_ clean freak, but he doesnt think that. his mindset is that people are dirty and don't know how to clean correctly. his secretary, aris quartet, is one of the few people who don't necessarily piss him off. to top it all off, his 5'2 (160cm) height doesn't help anything. 

the sound of his door opening didnt make levi glance up since he already knew who it was by what time it was. 

"hello sir—" levi swiftly cut him off. 

"your're late, brat." he said while reading over the documents on his desks. 

the brat, aris, raised a brow and looked at the time. it was a minute before noon. aris was sure his watch was correct. 

"but im a minute ear—" he was cut off again. 

"late. get me another cup of tea will you? and reschedule my 3 o'clock appointment to tomorrow. same time." levi was always straight to the point. he was always a little unsettling because you never know what he is going to say. 

"yes sir." aris couldn't help but smile as he went over to his boss's desk and quietly grabbed his empty cup of tea off his desk, careful not to disturb levi. he wasn't necessarily bothered or scared by levi's strict and bold demeanor. he understood how stressful his job was and so, he always did only what he was told and never argued. he found levi's no filter personality rather calming. he always said what was on his mind. 

aris walked over to his coffee station (more like tea station) and poured the hot water into the porcelain cup. grabbing the bag of dried herbs, he carefully poured a generous amount into the small, metal tea infuser. 

"sir, what did those employee's i saw walking out of here talk to you about?" aris started, staring into the tea cup. he watched as the water turned a chestnut red. levi took a glance up at aris, staying silent before sighing in an annoyed tone. 

"the format was wrong on the final documents and the indentation was sloppy. i told them to redo it all." aris held in a laugh and took the infuser out of the cup by its handle. he carefully picked up the cup and set it near levi, hearing a quiet _'thank you.'_

"hmm, you don't think thats a bit harsh? can't they go back and edit it?" levi placed down the document on his desk and looked up at the young male, his dull midnight colored eyes piercing hazel green ones. 

"keep talking and you'll be the one rewriting the documents." aris let a laugh escape his lips as he grabbed his notepad and pen from his work bag, setting them on his desk. he liked to slightly push levi's buttons. only slightly. 

"go check on the other employees will you brat? i'm trying to work." levi waved his hand to signal aris to leave, not looking up from the papers in his hand. 

"if i was distracting you mr.ackerman, you would've fired me long ago sir." the brunette flashed a smile before closing the door behind him. levi felt something weird in his chest when he saw aris's toothy smile. he grumbled curse words under his breath before going back to his reading. 

°°°

"jean! you forgot to do the spell check! you have so many typos .." aris peeked around the corner to see several cubicles, a short blonde male standing up by one. 

"i'll fix it later, armin. i just wrote 5 pages of financial shit for this damned company." the two-tone haired male, jean, leaned back in his chair, groaning aloud. aris walked over to the two males and leaned on the wall of the cubical. 

"don't let the boss hear that jean. now what if i told him you were talking like this?" aris grinned, crossing his arms. jeans scoffed and popped his back, turning his chair to aris. he definitely wouldn't tell levi but he could if he wanted to push jean's buttons. 

"you wouldn't do that to me quartet. you're too nice." aris's eyes grew in size, huffing. aris was not as innocent as everyone thought. his hand wandered onto jean's desk and he grabbed a black sharpie marker, glancing at the blonde with a wink. a smile grew on armin's lips and he swiftly looped his arms with jean's holding him down in his chair. 

"hey—! what the hell—!" jean clenched his jaw, looking up at armin. aris pushed the slender male's head back and quickly grew a sloppy mustache on jeans upper lip. 

armin laughed and quickly let go of the thrashing male, covering his mouth to quiet his giggles. aris bit down on his lip and looked around to make sure they weren't being too loud. aris could've sworn he had seen steam coming from jean's ears as jean shot daggers at him. 

"h—hey jean ..i _mustache_ you a question." aris held his stomach as he laughed as quietly as he could. jean's face flushed a cherry red from embarrassment all the way up to his ears. armin held his hands up to mouth, giggling uncontrollably.

jean crossed his arms and glanced between armin and aris, sighing dramatically. he lifted his hand to his mouth, trying to wipe off the marker, only swearing the ink more. aris and armin soon calmed down and aris placed the cap back on the permanent marker. 

"cheer up jean. you know it was funny. now come on, i'll help you with the spell check." armin grabbed his chair from the cubical across jean and pulled it up next to jean's chair. the blonde smiled at the brooding male, making him look away to his computer, his cheeks warming up more.

"yeah yeah whatever .." mumbled jean. aris smiled at the 2 employee's sitting next to each other. he could see the close bond they had. 

"well, " started aris as he clasped his hands together. "i'm going to head back to the boss' office. later armin. jean, stay sharp." he pointed a finger gun at jean with a smug grin, getting the middle finger in return for making a sharpie joke. he waved them off before heading to the elevator, pressing the highest button number. 

aris stepped out of the elevator once the doors opened. as he walked down the hall, his mind wondered. his mind wandered towards the train. towards miche. his voice. just the thought of his chuckles made the walking brunette's heart skip a beat. aris held a hand to his chest over his heart, a dreamy smile slowly forming on his lips. 

he shook his big smile off as he stopped in front of levi's office doors. aris slowly sucked in a breath and made sure he wasn't smiling like an idiot before knocking twice and opening one of the doors. 

"hello again sir." aris greeted, walking in and closing the door behind him. levi glanced up silently before looking back at his computer screen in front of him. 

"oi, pretty boy, get me another cup will you?" levi pointed to his empty tea cup and aris quickly grabbed the cup, going over to the coffee station to refill it. aris then paused and knitted his brows together, looking back up at his boss. 

"what's with the new nickname sir?" levi froze before finally taking his eyes off his computer screen and over to aris. he let the name slip from his mind and out his mouth. levi then interlocked his fingers, a sigh running past his lips. 

"well, you're pretty. what else is there to it?" aris leaned against the counter, raising a brow. 

levi was right. he _was_ pretty. his almond brown hair falling over his eyes and forehead, several strands of hair curling at the end. his honey brown and earthy green eyes stared into levi's dark silver grey ones. aris's warm ivory skin tone complimented his facial features along with his perfectly shaped, rose pink lips having a smile playing on them. 

yeah. he was quite .. _pretty_. 

"if i hadn't known any better mr.ackerman, i'd say you were complimenting me." levi immediately scoffed, looking the opposite way of aris. the _pretty_ male brought the full cup of tea and set it near levi's hand. 

"don't be so full of yourself, brat. did you reschedule my 3 o'clock appointment?" levi picked up his cup, sipping it as he stared down aris. aris stared back for several seconds before sticking out his tongue.

"immature brat ..go do what i told you." levi mumbled, going back to doing whatever he was doing on his computer before aris came in. most likely work

aris giggled quietly before walking over to his desk and sitting in it. he had a smaller desk near the doors for himself. levi bought it for aris a year after he started working for him. ever since, aris then knew how thoughtful levi could be when he got him the desk. 

aris then began to do what he was hired to do for the next 7 hours.

°°°

_"oi, go home. its almost 8 o'clock."_

aris turned his attention to his boss who suddenly spoke. fixing his slumping posture, he smiled tiredly towards levi's way before stretching his arms. 

"i'm okay sir, really—"

"i wasn't asking. go home. you're young. go get drunk at a party or something." levi flicked his wrist to check the time, scoffing quietly. he scooted his chair back from his desk before standing and grabbing his tea cup.

"oh, sir— you could've asked me to do that for you—.."aris immediately stood up, walking over to his boss before stopping in his tracks as levi spoke again.

"but i didn't ask did i? no. get out." aris flinched at his words. his tone of voice was much harsher than before. the somewhat hurt brunette quietly walked towards his desk and exited out his tabs on his laptop, closing it. he placed it into his bag and grabbed his jacket, swiftly slipping his arms through the sleeves. 

levi was by the counter, waiting for the water to heat. out of the corner of his eye, he watched aris silently pack up his things. he then kept his gaze on the counter, clenching his jaw. fuck, he felt bad. he never actually used a harsh tone with aris until now.

"goodnight, mr.ackerman." aris looked back at levi, putting on a small smile on his face before opening the door. 

"aris." 

the younger male froze, half way out the door. he had never heard his first name come out of levi's mouth like that. aris slowly turned to levi, pursing his lips together in a thin line.

"i didn't mean for it to come off like that. i apologize." levi pinched the bridge of his nose, exhaling deeply before looking straight at his secretary. did he really just apologize? aris couldn't help but smile, resting his head against the door frame. 

"i understand. i know you're stressed with his deadline coming up soon. it's okay. i do have to get going though before i miss the last train. have a good night sir." 

"goodnight, brat." aris smiled more at the common nickname and walked out of his office, closing the door. 

°°°

aris unlocked his door and walked in, letting out a surprised yelp as he was greeted by his roommate, reiner, picking him up. the broad blonde wrapped his arms around aris's waist and picked him up off the floor, swaying him side to side in a bear hug.

reiner braun. aris's 26 year old roommate who is almost a foot taller than aris himself. he and aris have a good relationship, roommate wise. although reiner looks like he can throw a horse, he is actually quite the softy and is polite, only being violent when he _absolutely_ needs to. he works at a cafe new aris's job, where he and aris met. he is also quite the flirt, yet is also a big hopeless romantic. 

_"reineeer!"_ aris laughed and lightly kicked his feet. reiner grinned widely before putting him down. his expression quickly then changed into a serious one. reiner crossed his arms and leaned down to aris' height, staring him down.

"you're later than usual. you're lucky microwaves and stoves were invented or else you would've been eating cold pasta." aris held back a smile as he copied reiner's stance, leaning into his face closer. 

"if i knew i was going to get scolded when i came home i would've asked for overtime you big baby." aris stuck out his tongue before closing and locking the front door, slipping off his shoes and sliding past reiner. he breathed in through his nose, the smell of chicken alfredo filling it immediately.

aris slid through the kitchen with his socks and grabbed a bowl from the cabinet, doing a small happy dance as he fill his bowl with pasta. reiner watched from the marble island as his roommate danced while he got his food, content at the sight. seeing aris smiley and happy was something reiner loved. god it made him feel all gushy inside. 

"compliments to the chef?" reiner asked, spreading out his arms as if a spotlight was on him. aris stared at him as he slurped a single noodle before sitting down at the island, across reiner. 

"yes. where _is_ the chef, reiner? please send my compliments to the chef whenever you get the chance." reiner deadpanned, making aris almost choke on his food as he laughed. as aris continued to eat, reiner stood and began to clean up, his huge hand ruffled aris's hair with a smile playing on his lips as he did so. 

"tell me, how was your day?" aris turned his chair torward's reiner who was putting up the leftovers in plastic tupperware. eating the last bite of his food, he handed his empty dish to his blonde friend and pulled up a leg in his seat. 

"same old stuff. i drew a mustache on my coworker jean today with sharpie. _that_ was eventful. i almost missed my train. i made it literally by 2 seconds." aris squeezed his index and thumb together to indicate how little time he had. reiner could only smile at him as he opened the dishwasher, placing the bowl and fork inside.

"uhm—.." the brunette's mind began to wander back. back to the train. he sucked in a slow breath, his expression gradually becoming more .. _dark_. reiner noticed this and raised a brow, slowly straightening his posture. 

"aris? ..anything else?" reiner slowly said, leaning against the kitchen counter, arms crossed. aris immediately looked up at his roommate.

"no— no not really heh—" aris smiled at his friend before hopping off the chair. "thought my boss did sorta kinda speak to me in a ..harsh way? b—but i know he has been stressed lately so don't worry about it." aris stepped towards reiner and poked his cheek, smiling reassuringly. reiner couldn't help but study aris's facial expressions and posture for several seconds before finally letting out a deep sigh. he cupped aris's head and pulled him close, kissing the top of his head. 

"whatever you say babe." aris laughed quietly before gently pulling away from reiner. he began to slide around the kitchen in his socks, making sure not to bump into reiner while he wiped the counters down. he boosted his momentum by running before sliding pass reiner, giggling quietly. 

"reiner, we should go skating one _daaa— ack!_ " thanks to reiners reflexes, as aris lost his footing and fell back, the muscular male quickly leaned forward and wrapped an arm around aris's waist, pulling him close. aris exhaled sharply as one hand held onto reiner's shoulder and the other gripping his bicep. he looked up at his friend and smiled sheepishly, a blush flooding his cheeks as reiner pulled him up back on his feet. 

"dumbass, you should be more careful if you don't want a split skull." reiner's voice was soft and low as he held his brunette friend close. real close. aris looked up at him, staring silently before letting out a laugh. soon enough, pink dusted over the blonde cheeks, making him scoff lightly and turn away. 

"thank you for saving me, my hero." aris stood on his tippy toes, kissing reiners cheek. now reiner was full on blushing, all the way down to his neck and ears. he let go of aris and subtly covered his face with the back of his hand, finally turning away to finish wiping down the counters. 

"don't you have class in the morning? go to sleep, dork. goodnight." aris pouted before mumbling an _'okay okay.'_ before hugging reiner from behind. this made reiner freeze as he slowly breathed. his hand slowly gripped the counter.

"goodnight reiner." the brunette finally said before letting go of reiner and made his way towards his room. aris slowly closed his door and slid down it silently, looking up at the ceiling. he honestly didn't know how he was feeling right now. too tired to figure out his thoughts and emotions, aris took a quick shower, threw on some underwear and pajamas pants and climbed into bed, his mind wandering towards miche again. 

°°°°°

_3022_

_I KNOW ITS A LIL BORING._

_patience.._

_the spiciness and interesting stuff_ _will come soon._

_idk when soon is tho aha c':_

_as always, sorry for any typos._

_later weebss._

_january 4th, 2021. 1:26am_

_e.s_

  
  
  
  
  
  
  



	3. Love Life.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> IF ANY OF YALL ACTUALLY READ CHAPTER NOTES....I WANT TO LET YOU GUYS KNOW......that in the second half of his chapter i was high as shit while writing it. im so sorry if it seems repetitive. but i was really uh...fricked up last night 😭

a love life. we all have one right? well, yes and no. aris's love life is just a bit sadder than others. dating very, _very_ few people in your life should be an excellent reason why you suck at lovey dovey stuff. not for aris though.

aris is almost a hopeless romantic. _almost._ he is up for all the cheesy dates like a carnival and going to the beach at sunset, but he is also quite simple. one of his dream dates is to sit on top of the roof of the building with his significant other, with snacks from a convenience store, and a good book. he daydreams so much about dates and cute relationship things, he catches himself smiling hard from his thoughts.

as aris walked to the subway (on time for once) he gets a notification from his phone, pulling it out of his jacket pocket.

_**Blonde Warrior** _

_**good morning, i see you woke up earlier. you were gone when i woke up. have a good day cutie.**_

_**yes i did (: thank you, and you too.** _ _**pls dont throw coffee at anyone <3** _

_**Blonde Warrior** _

**_IT WAS ONE TIME °^° they kept bitching and harassing my coworkers.._ ** ****

**_yes but remember not everything can be solved with violence reiner. :p_ ** _**gotta go, love you.** _

_**Blonde Warrior** _

_**love you too. ;-;** _

aris smiled hard at his phone as he felt reiners pout through his phone screen. though as he looked down at his phone a little too long while walking in the subway, he collided with something hard. he stumbled back and rubbed his forehead, wincing as he looked up. he had ran into someone, _like a dumbass._

the man he collided into was was a giant. he had to be over 6 feet (183cm). a chill went down aris's spine as his eyes stared into a pair of murky, sage green ones through blond bangs.

"ah ..im sorry sir—" aris managed to say, taking a step back. he was scared, yes. but not only did the man not respond, he simply nodded as a reply and walked back. the brunette let go of the breath he didnt know he was holding before boarding his train.

soon after he got on his train, he felt a presence behind him. his muscles tensed, but the presence somehow felt .. _familiar._

"miche..?" aris whispered loud enough for the figure behind him. he heard a chuckle which resulted in him relaxing. it was same laugh that gave him chills.

"hello aris, class again?" aris bit back a big smile and nodded, holding onto the metal pole as the train jerked slightly.

"hey miche? ..may i ask how old you are?" aris questioned, turning his head to the side to hear his mystery friend more clearly. a laugh erupted from miche's mouth again, making aris flush a pink.

"you know ..thats quite rude to ask aris." aris pouted to himself, his curiosity getting the best of him.

"oh _really?_ then i'll go first. i am 24. now its your turn, how old are you mr. zacharius?" miche couldn't help but smile. he found aris's persistence cute. _aris,_ was cute.

"well, mr. quartet. i am 28. satisfied?" aris looked away briefly, mentally cheering as mike was in his age range before turning his head back to its original angle.

"i guess you could say that." aris played it cool, humming softly.

"what are you studying aris?" the brunette perk up slightly, happy miche wanted to know more about him. his heart slowly began to pick up as their conversation continued.

"i am studying marine biology and veterinary medicine. this is my senior year. i really love animals and science. what about you? did you go to college?" aris labeled himself as a nerd and _was_ a nerd through out high school. he had very little friends and always kept to himself.

"that's quite amazing aris. and yes, i did. i studied in economics and philosophy." aris couldnt help the slightly surprised face, another laugh escaping miche's mouth.

"those are both associated with law ..so you like, work along with the law and the legal system? like lawyers and stuff ..?"

"mm ..something like that aris, yes." miche could hear in aris's tone of voice how careful he chose his words. it was clear he didnt know much about miche's major. aris was getting more cute everytime he and the brunette communicated. _a pretty guy who likes animals. what a combo._

a comfortable silence fell over them, the running train filling their ears. miche sniffled and knitted his brows together. something ..flowery and citrus scented spread through his nose. aris heard mike take a deep quiet whiff from behind him and began chewing on the inside of his cheek. just as aris was about to say something, miche spoke first.

"your hair ..your hair smells good aris." aris blushed heavily and subtly covered his mouth with his hand. he didnt know how to react to such a sudden compliment.

"thank you. i dont know how though. i didn't wash it last night. maybe its just my scent heh—" aris could hear mike sniffle again, glancing around to see if anyone had eyes on them.

"must be.."

miche's voice audibly went lower and more hushed, aris's hand gradually tightening his grip on the metal pole.

_what? what was this guy saying?_ aris's breathing got only slightly, very slightly heavier. _was it getting a alittle too warm on this train or was it just him?_ he shifted slightly in his spot, then directing his gaze upwards towards the ceiling. the voice on the speaker was saying the train was coming to a stop.

miche leaned in closer, near aris's ear and whispered.

"this is where we part. till next time, aris." the flustered brunette closed his eyes tightly and bit down on his bottom lip before miche's presence withdrew from behind him once again. aris slowly looked behind up,only to see no one. he couldnt help but smile to himself.

_he liked the suspense._

he liked not knowin _g .._ god it drove him slightly crazy but he loved it. sinful thoughts flooded his mind as he exited the train station as he thought of miche's voice, quickly distinguishing them before the blood rush went south.

°°°

_"youre quite early, brat."_

levi raised a brow, scattered papers painting his desk as he stood over it. aris nodded with a big smile on his face before placing his things on his desk and walked up to his boss' desk.

"good morning mr. ackerman." this made levi grimace slightly, straightening his posture. he had never seen aris .. _glow,_ so much. not since he worked under him.

"youre more smiley than usual. do tell what happened to make you glow brighter than the damn sun." the bubbly brunette's brows rose up, finally realizing how hard he was smiling. he rubbed his sore cheeks, laughing awkwardly.

"nothing much. just feeling more ..happier than usual." aris replaced his ecstatic smile with a more soft one, getting a scoff in return. levi definitely saw right through his lie like glass. but he let it go, sitting down in his chair.

"whatever. what are you doing here so early, quartet." he asked plainly, signing off papers. aris sat on the counter of levi's tea station, his legs swaying.

"skipped class." levi stilled his actions, looking up at aris with a scowl.

"go back. i will not be the reason you fail school." aris laughed aloud and hopped up off the counter, shaking his head. he knew this was going to be levi's reaction. he definitely wasnt going to listen though.

"you wont i promise! i am doing fine in all my classes. there's no need to worry, levi." the ravenette arched a brow at the sudden first name calling, resulting in his jaw clenching.

" _mr. ackerman." he re_ plied in a dull and rougher tone. aris shrinked back and nodded, mumbling an apology. its not that he didnt mind, but he did. _he didnt want to hear his name come out of aris's mouth for a number of reasons..particular reasons._ seconds past before levi sighed, breaking the uncomfortable silence.

"since youre here early, go get me tea from that cafe 2 blocks away. i hear its good." aris perked up at the word _'cafe'._ he began smiling again. he was smiling because reiner works at that exact same cafe.

"yes sir!" aris quickly grabbed his jacket and ran out the office to the elevator, excited to see his roommate during their shifts. he walked out of the building with a pep in his step and pulled out his phone to text his friend.

_**heads up (;** _

_**Blonde Warrior** _

**_..._ ** **_for what?_**

_**you'll see. (:** _

aris shoved his phone in his pocket as the smell of baked goods came in contact with his nose. he saw the cafe sign and smiled hard. aris opened the door and looked around, his eyes traveling behind the counter to see a broad blonde grinding up coffee grounds, his sleeves rolled up. the place was not as busy, only 3 people were in the cafe including aris, so there was no one at the counter. the hazel and green eyed male silently stepped up to the counter, keeping a grin on his face. aris spoke loud enough for reiner to hear.

"excuse me sir, i'd like to order." reiner stopped his hand movements and looked up. he squinted to make sure it was actually his roommate, aris, before a big smile appeared.

"aris? what are you doing here? aren't you supposed to be at school?" reiner walked around counter and pulled aris in for a bear bear, making aris erupt in giggles.

"well i skipped and went to work. my boss ordered me to get his tea here. so i actually do want to order dummy." reiner mouthed an _'ohh okay okay-'_ before running back behind the counter. he cleared his throat and put on one of the most unrealistic smiles aris had ever seen. aris covered his mouth, laughing quietly as reiner put on his happy employee attitude.

"hello there sir. what can i get for you today?" the blonde's tone of voice was sickenly polite, but aris played along.

"ahem, hi. i would like one medium black tea, not too hot, and a small cappuccino please. that'll be all." reiner pointed a a finger gun and clicked his tongue as he typed it in the cash register, aris's total being $12.84. aris reached into his back pocket before a sense a dread filled him.

"reiner, i forgot my wallet- is there ..a possibility you could pay for me?" quickly, the brunette pulled a pouty lip and held his hands together, swaying back and forth. reiner squinted at his roommate before sighing dramatically and pulled out his wallet, paying for aris's order.

"you're lucky we're roommates. you owe me." aris smiled and flicked off the blonde, laughing as reiner did the same. he watched his big roommate create his order, honestly staring in awe. his large hands swiftly mixed the ingredients, even placing on the lids smoothly. _his hands look like he could do plenty of things with them._ _._

aris physically cringed, scoffing at his thoughts before shaking them off. reiner smiled at him as he gave him his order, winking at aris playfully. aris playfully scrunched up his nose before grabbing the 2-cup cup holder.

"okay okay, enough funny business. i have to go, see you at home." aris waved at reiner as he neared the door and walked out of the cafe. as he was heading back to work, pulled out his phone to text his boss.

**item received** **, heading back to headquarters sir.**

**_Mr. Bossman_ **

**we are not in an alien sci-fi movie.** **shut** **up and bring me my tea.**

**yes my lord.**

**Mr. Bossman.**

**damn weirdo brat.**

the brunette laughed to himself as he neared his work building. bothering levi was very entertaining to him. pushing his buttons were quite fun, only if you dont go overboard. he entered the building, greeting some employees as he made his way to levi's floor. as he took the elevator, he noticed writing on his coffee cup.

_"it was lovely to see you dork._ ♡"

aris smiled hard at reiners little note, not really thinking anything about it. he knocked on levi's door twice before heading in.

_"greetings my king. i have brought what you requested all the way from Sina's Cafe."_ he bowed while closing the door and held the drinks over his head. levi deapanned at aris's crappy acting before pinching the bridge of his nose.

"get over here and give me my tea dammit." aris pursed his lips together, trying not to giggle while we gave his boss' beverage to him. aris grabbed his own drink and sipped it with a content smile. levi sipped his before smacking his lips silently, trying to see if he liked it or not.

"is it good sir?" levi looked up at his secretary before setting the cup beside him, beginning to read papers on his desk silently. aris took that as a yes and sat at his desk, pulling out his compter and notepad quietly. he sipped his bevarage occasionally while typing, already feeling more awake. as aris was busy doing his own job, levi sighed and began to stare at aris. he looked like he was trying to figure him out. aris looked like a guy who reads books for fun or hate horror movies, but does levi really know that? he has never actually talked to aris about their lives outside of work.

"aris, tell me about your love life." sudden works had broken the comfortable silence, startling aris. he almost choked on his coffee before looking at his boss.

"my— ..my love life? why?" the brunette slowly wiped his mouth, staring intently at levi. the ravenette fixed his stack on papers and placed his elbows on his desk, clasping his hands together. he rested his chin on top of his interlocked hands and gave aris a nonchalant look.

"i want to talk about something other than tea and work. so, talk about your love life." aris looked a bit shocked. his boss never really liked talking in the first place. he was always so dull and silent while working. aris cleared his throat and lowered his laptop screen.

"well ..what is there to tell? i wasnt a popular guy in high school, still not popular in college. plus being attracted to men doesn't help either— "

"you're gay?" levi suddenly asked, making aris's heart slightly drop. levi sounded so .. _shocked_.

"yes .." he said slowly. levi was silent for several seconds before saying, "hm, continue."

"uh—..i dated a guy in high school, but he didnt really show me much attention. then 3 years ago i was also with someone. i guess you could say it was serious. i began smoking frequently when they broke up with me. i have stopped smoking all together but ..i do slip up sometimes." levi perked up slightly at thats part. aris _smoking?_ the shorter male slowly began to picture aris with messy tousled hair, dressed in a big, halfway unbottoned button-up and a cigarette between aris's lips and slender index and middle fingers. he briefly closed his eyes at the thought and the picture of it, curling his toes in his shoes. levi quickly pushed away his sinful thoughts and stopped undressing his secretary before listening again.

"my roommate, he's pretty amazing. lately i have been getting these ..thoughts of him but i push them away because that's weird right? but then again reiner is flirty so what if theres more meaning to his comments? maybe not." _a roommate?_ levi didnt expect that. he always guessed aris lived alone with a cat, not another human.

"i was uhm— ..i was _also_ assaulted on the train-"

"excuse me? and you didnt tell me?" levi smoothly cut aris off, leaning back in shock. it was the most emotion aris had ever seen on his boss's face. aris played with his fingers, nodding.

"you're my boss mr. ackerman. i didnt think you wanted to establish some sort of friendship—" aris was cut off once more.

"exactly, i'm your _boss_. im supposed to establish a connection to my employees." the brunette just looked at him, confusion written over his face before laughing aloud.

"im sorry for laughing but sir— ..you hate everyone." levi immediately sighed at aris's statement and looked to the side, blood rushing to his cheeks.

"i _guess_..you're one of the very few people i dont _necessarily_ hate." aris's hazel eyes widened and his jaw dropped slightly. levi actually cared for him. he sucked at saying it but aris definitely understood. aris smiled heavily, making levi roll his eyes. he knew how aris was going to react. it was cute.

"tch. dont get carried away. continue what they were saying." aris nodded quickly and turned his body towards levi's direction. the ravenette leaned back in his chair as aris talked. 

"yes, i was assaulted yesterday. then, some guy saved me. he stepped in between me and the guy who was touching me. he was really polite ..we talked a little bit before the train stopped. when it did and i turned around, he was gone. " levi squinted his eyes at his secretary. its not everyday you are saved by someone on a train. aris was beaming again, like when he first arrived. it was clear aris was interested in who saved him.

"do you know what he looks like? did you get a name?" aris bit down on his lip and slowly shook his head. he held back giving his name to his boss. levi would of probably done a search and a background check on miche.

"but his voice was very soothing. it was uhm— ..quite attractive heh—" dull midnight eyes gazed into aris's before they closed, a sigh coming from levi's mouth. he grabbed a document on his desk and turned his attention to the words on the piece of paper.

"your love life is interesting. it didnt bore me.." aris blinked in confusion before scratching his head and laughing awkwardly.

"you're welcome sir .." 

"remember the event is tomorrow, and so is the deadline. be here by 5pm." aris nodded and so both of them went back to working. _if only i got a name,_ levi thought. and though aris found it slightly random on why levi wanted to talk about _his_ love life, he was happy about building a closer relationship with his boss.

°°°°°

_3109_

_hey c: hope youre not bored._

_i thank you for reading my book_ _._

_and yes, i changed mike's name to miche._

_bc his name is prettier like that :D_

_oki bye. remember, sorry for typos._

_january 8th, 2021. 6:00pm._

_e.s_


	4. Bourbon on Ice.

hazel green eyes opened to a ceiling. his hand rubbed them before sitting up in his duvet, grabbing the phone off the nightstand. aris checked the date and time, smiling. he crawled out of bed, used the bathroom and brushed his teeth before exiting his room. the apartment had a comfortable silence in the morning. it was peaceful.

mornings were always peaceful when you didn't have class. aris's feet carried him across the living room to the other side of the apartment where reiner's room was, flinching at the cool, untouched wooden floor. his fingers wrapped around the door handle and pulled it down slowly, opening the door as quietly as he could.

the now opened door revealed a sleeping shirtless reiner. he was laying on his stomach, arms under the pillow he was laying on and his blanket was only covering his waist and anything lower. 

his back relaxed muscle's stood out as the sunlight from his window poured down on him, catching aris's eyes first. aris tippy-toed over to his king size bed and carefully climbed into the blankets. he laid on his side while staring at the blonde giant, his fingers wandering through his undercut. aris then rolled over onto reiner's back with a grin, hearing a groggy noise from him.

"wake up sleepy head, you have to work at 11am and your alarm is about to go off." the wide awake brunette leaned into the crevice opening in the blonde males arm where his face was covered and saw a honey brown eye staring back at him. he stuck out his tongue with a laugh before he was suddenly pulled into reiner's chest. aris let out a whine as reiner held him securely, looking over at his roommate with a pout.

" _come onnn!_ get up! its already 10 o'clock. " pressed aris before he slipped out of reiner's grip from below. reiner groaned aloud as he no longer felt aris's body heat against him. as if on cue, reiner's alarm went off and aris quickly grabbed his phone, pressing dismiss. aris rubbed his his hands together before smirking mischievously. he raised his hand up in the air before bringing it down on reiners clothed backside, _hard._

"hey!" the broad blonde jumped and snapped his head at his roommate who was standing at the side of the bed, laughing. reiner finally sat up in his bed and stretched his arms above his head. "that hurt .."

"well if you dont get up im gonna do it again. wake up!" and with that being said, aris left his room and made his way into the kitchen, grabbing 2 bowls from the cabinet above the counter and 2 spoons in the drawer below. he began to fix reiner and himself a bowl of cereal. as he was pouring the milk, he saw reiner walk out of his room, still clearly trying to wake up fully.

"good morning mr. braun." aris said sweetly, making reiner scrunch up his nose.

"good morning aris." he sighed out, trying to sound aggravated but his growing smile gave it away. aris handed reiner a bowl of cereal and grabbed his own, gesturing for reiner to follow him into the living room. they both sat on the couch, eating their breakfast.

"what are your plans for today aris? its friday." reiner questioned as he ate a spoonful of his cereal. aris perked up from hearing what day it was. he placed his bowl on the coffee table and clasped his hands together.

"today ..i am going to an business event with my boss. its supposed to be really fancy and all so i have some things planned today. i have to get a suit, i have to get my hair done, then go get my boss and go to the event." reiner gave a slight look of suprise as he finished his cereal. he stood and grabbed aris's bowl, heading back to the kitchen.

"take pictures for me will you?" aris nodded before checking his phone again. he had gotten a text from his boss.

**Mr. Bossman**

**the car will be there in 10 minutes to take you to the tailor. i have a suit ready for you there. you'll also be using the car for whatever else you need to get ready for tonight. just be on time when you pick me up.**

**:) yes sir.**

aris hopped up from the couch, running towards his room. a confused face took over reiner's face as he watched his roommate scurry down the hall.

"i gotta get ready now! the car will be here soon!" yelled aris, slamming his door closed. he quickly threw on black jogger pants, a red shirt and grabbed his jacket. he then grabbed his colonge from the bathroom and placed it in his bag. though he wasnt working, he always used his bag outside of work too.

with ten minutes passing by quite fast, he slipped on his shoes and ran out his room, seeing reiner already clothed for work.

"gotta go reiner love you! and remember not to throw coffee at anyone!" aris quickly spoke, waving at reiner as he made his way to the door.

"how long are you going to hold that against me, it was one time!" reiner raised his hands up in annoyance, pouting as aris already walked out the door. on a regular day, reiner had an altercation at work. aris was there also, but during this time, they weren't roommate's. simply strangers. aris watched as a customer harassed other employees about how they got the order wrong and threw the drink on the floor. he began to yell at reiner, to which got him a hot coffee thrown at his face. aris will never forget it because it's hilarious and he will forever rease reiner about it.

aris took the elevator down and walked briskly out of his apartment building, seeing a black, window tinted car in front of the entrance. he slowly walked up towards it and as if on cue, the window rolling down.

"aris quartet?" the driver asked, getting a nod from aris. the driver was a women wearing all black with black shades on. her hair was in a low ponytail and she had an earpiece. she _definitely_ looked like a secret service agent.

"i'm your chauffeur for today. mr. ackerman sent me to pick you up. get in." aris nodded in slight awe. she looked so professional while aris looked .. _bummy_.

he opened the door and sat in the back, placing his bag at his feet. the car smelled new and looked so clean. it even had a champagne holder which made aris tense up. he had never been in such a luxurious vehicle.

"excuse me? what do i call you miss?" the nervous brunette saw the drivers eyes shift into the mirror before looking back at the road.

"ramsey is fine." aris smiled and nodded, relaxing in his seat.

"well, it's nice to meet you ramsey." he said, trying to lighten the intense atmosphere. he could see a smile form on the lady's lips after he spoke.

"it's nice to meet you also aris." the drive to the tailor was about 30 minutes. ramsey turned on some music during the drive so it wouldn't be so awkward. once they got to the tailor, ramsey parked at the entrace and got out the car, opening aris's door. aris thanked her and stepped out, looking at the front of the suit tailor. it looks like something out of the _Kingsman_ movies.

"i'll be here. take your time." ramsey said before getting back into the drivers seat. aris walked into the store and immediately felt _severely_ underdressed. the suits on the walls had not one wrinkle in sight. the shoes on the racks were perfectly polished. meanwhile, aris walked in with white sneakers, black jogger pants and a red plain shirt along with his zip up hoodie.

"aris quartet?" aris snapped his head forward to see a man slightly taller with a dark undercut and blonde hair slicked back on top. his arms were crossed and his head was tilted to the side. his face expressed the words: _unimpressed, surprise, and curiosity all at once._

"that's me." aris waved awkwardly, cheeks burning from slight embarrassment and awkwardness. the man couldn't help but smile at aris. 

"porco galliard, it's a pleasure to meet you. you are not what i expected, but that's not a bad thing. come, i have your suit in the back." aris followed the man towards the back like a lost puppy. he continued to look around in awe as he was led to a dressing room.

"wait here, i'm going to get it for you." porco then closed the door, leaving aris alone. aris quickly pulled out his phone from his jacket pocket and texted reiner.

**_its so nice in the tailor. i felt embrassed to walk in with just joggers and a shirt._ **

**_Blonde Warrior_ **

**_you clearly went there for a suit, shush youre about to be looking like a million bucks._ **

aris smiled down at his phone before leaving reiner on seen, he placed his phone back in his jacket pocket before hearing a knock at the door.

"c—come in!" stuttered aris, seeing the door open to reveal porco with a black garment cover on a hanger. porco hung it on the hook near aris and flashed him a smile.

"just open the door whenever your dressed, i'll be right outside with your shoes." porco's tone was very smooth, as if he was almost ..flirting. confidence laced his voice as he spoke. aris could only nod, feeling slightly intimidated.

once porco left the dressing room, aris began to undress out of his normal clothes and carefully put on the the black button up shirt and tied his tie. he put on the royal blue, pleated dress pants before slipping on the blazer. he looked so sharp and professional in the mirror. smiling hard, he opened the door and peeked his head out seeing porco on his phone.

"ahem— mr. galliard?" aris slowly opened the door to reveal himself. porco smirked and clasped his hands together as he looked aris up and down.

"my..that fits you perfectly ..a little _too_ perfect if i do say so myself. and here are your shoes and belt to finish off the look." aris sat down on the leather couch near his dressing room and slipped on the shoes and belt. when he stood, he walked near the mirror in his dressing room, laughing quietly.

"i can't believe i actually am able to look this good," the happy brunette looked back at porco with his hooking smile. "thank you porco. it look's amazing." porco's breath caught in his throat, making him lose his words along with some of his confidence. _god, aris was just so charming without even trying.._

" uh y-yes— you're welcome. may i ask where you are going?" the slightly taller male handed aris a black plastic bag for his normal clothes to put in before placing his hands in his pants pockets.

"i am going to an event with my boss. i guess i'm his plus one, but then again i'm his secretary so i think i'm also supposed to escort him." aris grabbed the clothes he was wearing before and folded them before placing them neatly in the bag. 

"an event? oh wow. that seems .. _fun._ " the dressed brunette walked out of the dressing room torwards the cash register. as he was pulling out his wallet, porco grabbed his hand, shaking his head.

"its already been paid by the person who ordered the suit, so no need to worry about the price." levi paid for it. aris already knew. he frowned to himself before nodding. aris began to feel guilty that levi got the suit for him. he definitely knew it was expensive, so he felt bad.

"once again, thank you for everything porco." aris nodded before making his way towards the door. porco crossed his arms and kept his eyes on aris as he walked away.

"no problem! see you later, doll." aris looked back, confused at his last words. but porco only winked, making aris shake his head with a chuckle. maybe his words meant nothing.

_maybe_.

aris knocked on the window, hearing the door unlock shortly before he climbed into the car, careful not to wrinkle his new suit.

"you look good aris." ramsey smiled at him as she started the car. aris couldn't help but blush and scratched the side of his head, thanking her.

"where to next?" aris buckled himself in before looking back at his driver.

"take me to _Historia's Hair_ _Salon_ please. " and with that, ramsey typed it in the GPS and drove to their next destination.

°°°

aris knew the girl who owned _Historia's Hair._ she was in his afternoon college class and she always talked about doing aris's hair. aris never really wanted to do anything with his hair because he liked how it was, so he always denied getting an appointment.

he stepped out of the black SUV, getting stares by walking pedestrians. i mean, who _wouldn't_ stare at an attractive guy wearing a sharp suit heading into a salon?

aris opened the door, the small bell at the top of the door signaling someone had walked into the salon. 

"krista?" he called out. a short blonde girl who was tending to her supplies looked up and smiled big before squealing.

"aris!! hi! are you finally taking up my offer? look at you! you looks so sharp!" she stopped all her movements and placed the hair scissors and comb she was holding before running up to aris, hugging him. 

"hi krista, and sort of? i know i didn't schedule an appointment but i need you to clean up my hair a bit. i have this big event tonight and so ..are you willing to help me?" aris rubbed the back of his neck, smiling down at her. her eyes seemed to literally sparkle at his words.

"do you know how long i have been waiting for you to ask me this? you're my top priority right now. come come!" krista dragged him into a chair and sat him down, running her fingers through his hair.

"hmm ..what i'm thinking is cleaning up your undercut and a tape up. along with defining your curls a bit. sound good?" aris nodded and sat back in his chair, waiting her krista to do what she does best.

"ymir! get over here!" the blonde girl yelled, making aris laugh under his breath. a few seconds later, a tall, slender brunette came from the back and walked up to aris, arm's crossed.

"whose the pretty boy, shorty? and why is he all dressed up?" krista gave her a look before handing ymir a pair of clippers.

"this is aris. he is in my biology class, and _we_ are going to get him cleaned up for his big event tonight. understood?" ymir had a nonchalant look on her face before she finally gave in, grabbing the clippers from krista and tied her hair back.

"well what are we waiting for? let's do this." ymir said with a grin, high-fiving krista.

°°°

"give me 10 minutes ramsey!" aris yelled before closing the car door and walking into his work building. he felt all eyes on him as he walked towards the elevator, feeling a bit self conscious. aris then pressed the floor number where levi's office was and sighed deeply as he waited.

he was nervous. he was going to a big fancy event with only levi. it's most likely going to be filled with entrepreneurs and CEOs. he was just a secretary. as the elevator neared levi's floor, he straightened his tie and checked his hair in his reflection of the elevator wall.

as the doors opened, he walked down the wide corridor before stopping at levi's doors. the brunette inhaled and exhaled slowly before knocking.

"sir? it's aris. its time to go."

"come in." aris heard, he slowly peeked his head in to see levi dressed in an all black suit. his button up was loose at the first 2 highest buttons and he was sliding on his suit jacket. _he looked so intimidating in all black._

"you look nice sir." aris beamed, putting his hands in his pants pockets. levi scoffed and looked at his secretary before freezing slightly. his eyes examined every inch of aris, seeing his fresh cut undercut, his hair was curlier than usual. they then very shortly wandered to his suit before their eyes met.

" ..you look good." aris's cheeks gain more color at levi's compliment. the flushed brunette smiled at levi which caused levi to flush a pink himself.

"tch. let's go." aris and levi exited the building and got into the car. 

"hello ramsey. you know where to go?" levi sighed, opening the bottle of untouched champagne along with grabbing a glass from the cup holder. aris watched as he did so, slightly confused.

"hello sir, and yes sir." replied ramsey, getting on the road again. levi smoothly poured the bubbly alcohol in the slim glass before downing the whole thing in one go. this made aris tense up, grabbing the bottle from his boss.

"sir, i dont think you should get drunk before we even get there." the ravenette gave him a neutral look before sighing. "it was one glass. i do it before i go in to tolerate these people _just_ a little bit." he placed the glass in its original spot and propped his elbow on the car door, resting his chin in the palm of his hand. the brunette mumbled a quiet _'oh..'_ before blushing a scarlet color, slowly placing the bottle in its original spot.

the ride was silent. not a confortable silence but not an uncomfortable one either. it was a half hour drive to the event. ramsey followed the other black cars in the line, inching towards the entrance of the building. it almost looked like a red carpet. aris began to rub his fingers together out of anxiousness as he saw cameras flashing from a short distance.

"stop that. youre making me nervous and i have been to plenty of these." levi was gesturing towards aris as they quickly stopped their movement. instead, his hands laid flat on his thighs, his heart beat speeding up.

aris wasnt good with crowds, or people asking millions of questions. he really wasn't good with people in general. his anxiety always sparked when all eyes were on him or if he was with crowds of people.

"aris, breathe. you're gonna be with me the whole time. now, do i look okay?" the anxious male turned to his boss and examined him body head to toe. there was really no flaw on him.

"wait," said aris, making levi freeze. aris's hand reached up to levi's hair. his fingers laid down a fly away, a small smile forming on aris's lips. "now you're good. ready?" now a slight red, levi nodded as it was their turn to get out.

_let's do this.._ aris breathed in deeply through his nose as ramsey got out to get the door for them. right as the door opened, the flashing camera's nearly blinding aris but he quickly covered his eyes. he stepped out, straightening out his suit before making way for levi. when the shorter male stepped out of the car, the commotion of the paparazzi increased.

"levi over here!"

"levi who is with you today?"

"mr. ackerman is this your lover?"

"levi who are you wearing?"

the color of aris's cheeks deepened as he heard _certain_ questions, but he ignored it and placed a hand on levi's shoulder, almost guiding him up the steps.

"didn't think you were this popular sir." the brunette leaned into levi so he could hear him. levi scoffed as they left the loud crowd behind them, walking through even bigger, metal grand doors.

"with money comes acknowledgement." aris giggled to himself as levi attempted to sound wise. his expression soon changed as he looked at the big open room in awe. he had never seen such a big open room. he had never felt so small. crystal chandeliers illuminated the room while spiraling down from the arching cieling filled with renaissance art. the vanilla walls were complimented by marble columns where champagne silk drapes hung from. and the floor, the floor was so polished when aris looked down he could see his reflection like he was looking in a mirror. 

but that wasnt all, women dressed their necks and ears in jewels. diamond, emerald, ruby. and their bodies in the most ravishing dresses they could find in their closet. men dressed in sharp suits and wore the most expensive of watches. even the servants in white tux looked sharp. piano played in the background as people chatted quietly amongst small groups. aris looked at himself, feeling so severely underdressed before his eyes went to his boss's outfit. he then relaxed alittle, seeing how simple levi looked, not at all stripping him of his intimidation. 

swiftly, levi grabbed a glass of champagne off a silver platter from a passing servant and handed it to his secretary with a bored sigh.

"hopefully that will loosen you up. your nervousness is radiating off of you." said levi before making a beeline towards the open bar. aris quickly followed, trying not to look like a puppy following its owner.

"one bourbon on ice." levi ordered and sat in one of the bar stools, sipping his beverage as he scanned the crowd. aris stood near him while sipping his glass of champagne, his eyes wondering until they stopped on a particular person. he leaned forward and squinted to make sure his eyes werent deceiving him before mumbling an _'i'll be right back..'_ levi didnt move from his seat, he only watched as aris left his side, a bit proud he was already getting more comfortable with such a particular crowd.

aris slowly walked over to a table where he saw none other than porco sitting at a high top table clothed in a black tablecloth.

"so," started aris, almost startling the blonde male. "is this what you meant when you said _see you later_?" a smirk played on porco's lips before he downed the rest of his champagne class in front of him.

"what did you think i meant? a date?" he teased, making aris roll his eyes with a smile threatening to appear. he held it together though.

"uh huh. so, porco, who are you with at this event? surely you _must've_ crashed the party. you sure seem like the guy to." aris set his glass down on porco's table and crossed his arms, wanting to press his buttons. the grinning blonde laughed confidently and shook his head.

"i am a plus one of course. i'm here with a friend. as a matter of fact, he looks like he is getting to your boss, sweetheart." his finger pointed over to levi conversing with a blonde beared man, who seemed to be enjoying himself. levi on the other hand, looked like he was going to throw his glass at the guys face. aris sucked in a breath of worry and quickly turned to porco with a sweet, sarcastic smile.

"you know, if you didnt talk so much, i think your mouth could be put to more useful things. have a good night porco and thank you _so_ much for the suit." porco was left dumbfounded, his face burning a red as he watched aris walk smoothly towards his boss and the stranger he was with.

just as levi was about to stand up, aris slipped in between the two men, facing levi. he wore a sweet smile while grabbing levi's drink.

"mr. ackerman sir, someone is asking for you. _shall we go?_ " aris emphasizes his question and gave levi a _'calm down and follow me'_ look. levi narrowed his eyes at aris before looking behind aris, back at the man he was speaking with.

"good evening zeke." levi spat before letting his secretary lead him out the open room and up the stairs to the second level, away from the party.

aris really didnt know where he was going but he didnt want to show it. instead he confidently opened a door and waited for levi to walk in the room. levi sighed before walking in, letting aris close the door.

"sir? what was that? i've never seen you so ..worked up before." aris quickly spectated the room before giving levi his full attention. there was a personal library in the far corner behind a big wooden, polished desk and a luxurious couch near the wall. aris assumed it was a study of some sort.

he handed levi back his drink, patiently waiting for an answer. there were several seconds of silence before levi broke the silence with a sigh.

"his name is zeke jaeger. long story short, he stole something from my company years ago and got away with it, building up his reputation in the business world." aris immediately frowned, staying silent. he didnt know what to say to that. he walked over to the balcony door and opened them, gesturing for levi to follow, and he did.

they both walked out onto the balcony and leaned against the carved cement railing.

"levi?"

"hm."

"what's your zodaic sign?"

"capricorn."

aris looked at levi before looking up at the night sky. "capricorns are known for being very organized and ambitous." he looked back at his boss, trying to get some sort of reaction out of him to lighten the mood.

"they are also slightly careless but work well under pressure." this made levi scoff before he covered his mouth to stiffle a chuckle.

"i didnt think you'd be spot on, brat." aris smiled and neared closer to levi, tilting his head slightly to see his smile, even if it was only a tiny smirk. he had never heard levi laugh before, but it made him so happy to hear it.

"your smile ..it's quite attractive. you should _definitely_ smile more sir." levi immediately looked away, cursing to himself mentally as he felt his cheeks warm up. aris then placed a hand over levi's, getting slightly startled from the sudden affection.

"i see you dont take compliments well," the ravenette look away again, scoffing. aris knew what he was doing. "but anyways, dont let him get to you okay sir? you're _much_ better than him."

"..whatever ..let's head back in." levi was now full on flustered, but he couldn't let aris see. not ever. he pulled his hand away from aris's and leaned off the railing, walking back into the building first. aris happily followed with a smile on his face as they exited the balcony and the study.

°°°

the front door opens and closes before aris walked over into the living room, dropping his things on the couch. reiner, who was sitting on the couch with a beer in his hand, stared at aris in slight shock.

"you look ..nice." the tense blonde swallowed hard. aris's cheeks burned more than they already did and he rubbed the back of his neck, thanking reiner quietly. he pulled off his suit jacket and threw it over the top of the couch before sitting right next to his roommate.

"how was the party?"

"mm ...it was nice. very fancy. levi made me down 3 glasses of bourbon so everything is ..fuzzy right now. he can hold his liquor very well." the slightly drunk brunette let out a quiet giggle, resting his head on reiner's shoulder. reiner chuckled and wrapped his arm around his tispy friend.

"you and me both. this, is my third one," he shook his beer bottle gently before finishing it off. "how'd you get home?" he then placed the empty bottle on the coffee table near the other 2 empty ones. the blonde's cheeks were slightly pink from the alcohol he had consumed.

"chauffer." mumbled aris.

"ah, very nice." aris only hummed as a response before they both focused on the movie playing on the tv. it wasnt long till aris complained about being too warm. his fingers undid the buttons of his shirt. his shirt began to fall off of his shoulder, revealing his clavicle and shoulder.

_his skin was visibly creamy and soft and reiner just wanted to_ — no. no reiner couldn't. he didnt dare to think like that about his friend while he was right next to him. slowly, the blonde breathed in through his nose as he took short glances. _god,_ aris was so _beautiful, he truly was._

reiner subtly pulls up his leg on the couch to shield himself away from aris. his pants felt uncomfortably tight, making him shift in his spot. friction from his pants fabric rubbing up against him didnt help at all. he had to cover his mouth secretly so aris wouldnt notice. aris though, stretched his arms above his head before leaning more into his friends chest.

clearly, aris was _not_ a drinker.

_"_ _reinerr .."_

"hm?" his name, god his name sounded _so_ hot coming from aris's mouth like that. _was the beer getting to his head?_ maybe not. maybe his urge to devour aris right then and there was real. his real emotions.

as if reiner wasnt already struggling to keep his composure, aris wrapped his arms around reiner's neck and pulled him into where his shoulder and neck connected. on reflex, the sexually frustrated male's hands _somehow_ slipped under aris's unbuttoned shirt and held his waist to try to stop himself from falling over onto the smaller male.

he froze in place, his face was buried into aris's neck. he was warm to the touch. aris's scent filled his nose. the scent of his cologne he always wore made him dizzy. his breathing shallowed as his arms snaked around his roommate's waist, pulling him much closer than before.

"reiner?'' aris murmured into his ear. he held him close for several seconds before clenching his teeth, forcing himself to let go. reiner stood up and helped aris stand himself.

"let's go to bed, your drunk." mumbled reiner before guiding aris to his room. reiner opened his door and laid him down on his pillow, pulling the duvet over him. but because he couldn't help himself, reiner leaned down towards aris's face, staring silently. he slowly cups his cheek, caressing it with his thumb before pulling away. reiner closed his door before leaning against it. his eyes saw the tent in his pants and he cursed aloud, walking towards his room.

°°°°°

_5125_

_yall..this was so many words LOL._

_im really sorry for typos in this one._

_yes i know this seems more like reinerxmale!oc_

_but PATIENCE. ye..later kids._

_january 10th, 2021. 4:28pm_

_e.s_


	5. Shirley Temple.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> mild trigger warning for this chapter.

droplets raced each other down his tense body as the sound of the cold running water flooded his ears. his arm rested on the tile wall of the shower, his thoughts clouded yet clear at the same time. his fingers encircled his stiff length, heated sounds escaping passed his lips.

_"s-shit .."_ hissed the frustrated male. his toned back arched ever few seconds as he neared his high, speeding up the movement of his hand.

his thoughts wandered to a certain somebody. a certain male. he thought about how slender but lean his body was. it was quite perfect in all honesty. not too skinny, not too built. his face, god his face was so pretty, flawless almost. and the thought of the way he smelled made the heated male even hotter all over.

his hips bucked forward repetitively as ecstasy washed over him so suddenly, his free hand slapping over his mouth. his head threw itself back as pearly white strings flew onto his hand and chest.

that night he washed his skin so violently, almost rubbing it raw. he felt so disgusted in himself, so ashamed. he stood under the water, as if he was letting his _disgusting_ (his words not mine) thoughts wash away down the drain.

°°°

"mmn.."

a brunette begins to awake from his slumber, his head pulsing. sitting up with a groan, his hand pulled open the small drawer in his nightstand, picking up one of the pill bottles. he grabbed 2 painkillers and set them near his phone, noticing he hadn't changed out of his pants from last night.

slipping off the dress pants, he neatly folded them once and slipped on a large hoodie. aris then grabbed his phone and the medicine, popping it in his mouth while heading toward the kitchen. he downed a whole crisp bottle of cold water with the medicine, taking a breath as he crunched the now empty bottle between his fingers.

"wow, that was rather fast. good afternoon, sleepy head." aris snapped his head towards the living room where the voice was coming from only to see a smiling reiner leaning over the back of the couch. aris gives his roommate the finger before making his way towards the couch, nuzzling right into his blonde friends side. reiner immediately knew aris was telling him to cuddle him, and he did, wrapping strong arm around the boy with a chuckle.

the two sat in a comfortable silence, focusing on the anime show on the tv. reiner looked quite into it, laughing quietly every now and then. suddenly a whiney noise erupted from aris, getting a questionable expression from reiner.

"you okay there?" reiner asked, a smile tugging at his lips. aris didn't look up at his friend, closing his eyes briefly instead.

"headache." reiner _'_ _ohh'ed'_ before nodding. he lifted his hand and pressed his index and middle finger on one of aris's temples, messaging gently.

"well i'm gonna assume you took medicine when you downed that whole water bottle. it'll kick in soon sweetheart, okay?" aris nodded with another small whine before burying his face into the broad blonde's chest, breathing in his scent. it was calming to him, relaxing. "you're off. i'm off. what are we doing today?"

"well, we'll maybe just lay around. maybe go out tonight?" the smaller brunette looked up at his roommate, sitting up.

"i think i'll be fine by tonight. but right now, please order me chinese food." reiner narrowed his eyes and crossed his arms, huffing softly.

"you still owe me from paying for your drinks that day." aris pouted and grabbed his friend's shoulders, whining loudly as he shook him.

"i know but please reiner _pleeeease!"_ reiner realized how attractive his name sounded from aris's lips as he whined. he quickly pushed his thoughts in the back of his mind, not wanting to have another _hard_ situation again.

"fine. go shower and it will be here when you are done. the smell of alcohol is radiating off of you." aris perked up and smiled big at reiner, heading towards his room. he closed his door and quickly undressed before walking into his bathroom. turning on the shower and stepping in, aris stood under the running water, relaxing his muscles.

he hums to himself, running his hands through his hair. as the brunette washes his body, his mind wanders. wanders to last night. its slightly fuzzy but he remembers everything from levi drinking with him to reiner wrapping his arms around him. his hands stop washing his body and slowly tried to mimic reiner's hold he had on him last night, almost moving on their own. he didnt realize his hands were embraced around his own body till he went to rinse. then he remembers feeling a presence hovering over him and touching his face in his sleep. _but was it a dream? was it just his mind playing tricks on him?_ aris let out a slight frustrated whine and held the sides of his face, shaking away his train of thought.

after washing his hair, aris got out of the shower and grabbed his towel from off of the back of the bathroom door. he dried himself off and wrapped it around his waist, grabbing a large grey and white shirt from his closet and a pair of blue boxer briefs and black drawstring shorts. the now fresh, clean and clothed brunette grabbed a smaller towel off his dresser and dried off his hair, walking out his room. the smell of food immediately hit his nose, making him jump over the couch and plopping next to reiner with a grin.

"jesus christ— you came out of nowhere ..you're that excited huh? and yes, i didnt forget your dumplings." said the slightly startled blonde, pushing aris's food and drink in front of him across the coffee table. aris looks at his friend with a pout before hugging him tightly around his neck.

" _thank you thank you thank you!_ i love you so so so so much." reiner couldn't help but smile at his happiness, pink dusting his cheeks gingerly. aris quickly opened his chopsticks and picked up a dumpling, dipping it in the sauce and eating it with a content smile.

throughout the day, aris and reiner ate their chinese food, watched anime, and talked about the most random of things. the two had quite the relationship and the close skinship was normal for them. there was really never a dull moment between the two.

°°°

aris opened his eyes to a random movie playing on the tv at a low volume. he turned his head. the opposite way to see reiner sleeping on the arm of the couch. aris had his head in reiners lap. they must've fallen asleep because outside the sun was no longer in the sky, the city lights shining through the window.

aris slowly sat up, groaning softly as the blood rushed to his head all at the same time. he stretched his arms upwards and grabbed his phone, checking the time.

"reiner ..wake up." the brunette mumbled, poking his roommate's cheek repeatedly till he came to. reiner opened his eyes and looked around in slight confusion, stretching his arms in front of him before looking at his roommate.

"what time is it?" reiner whispered in a groggy tone. his sleepy voice was much lower than when he was fully awake, sending a chill down aris's spine. aris stood up and stretched again before beginning to clean up their mess on the coffee table, grabbing their empty plates and cups.

"its 9:47pm. you said you wanted to go out right? well nap times over. wake up and get dressed." aris shot a lazy smile over at him before walking into the kitchen and placed the cups in the sink and the paper plates in the trash. reiner hummed in response before heading to his room, shaking off the sleepiness.

aris headed to his own room, switching into a pair of black jeans, a white shirt and a grey and white flanel. he definitely radiated .. _homosexuality_. he looked in his mirror with a disappointed look, hating the look immediately. he took off the flanel and the plain shirt, replacing it with a _Nirvana_ t-shirt and a camo green jean jacket along with yellow converse. stepping into the mirror, he smiled big at the new outfit he chose and sprayed his signature cologne lightly before grabbing his phone and his wallet.

"aris! let's go!" the brunette quickly ran out his room, meeting reiner at the door. reiner raised a brow and looked at aris's outfit, scoffing lightly.

"since when do you have style?" aris's mouth fell open slightly before he hit reiner in his arm, getting a laugh as a result. as for reiner, he was wearing ripped jeans and a short sleeve maroon t-shirt with the words _'c'est la vie'_ on the end of the left sleeve. a thin silver chain hung around his neck, half way tucked in his shirt and black slip ons.

"i try when i want too!" reiner playfully rolled his eyes before opening the door for his roommate, swirling his car keys on his index finger. the two males exited their building and got into reiner's car before driving to _Ymir's Bar_ _._ it wasn't too far from the apartment, rather 10 minutes tops.

once they arrived to their destination, they noticed how many cars were in the parking lot. there werent alot but then again, the night was still young. heading into the establishment, the smell of food filled aris's nose and the sound of pool balls clashing together and soft rock music traveled through his ears. the place was quite chill.

reiner and aris sat at the bar, a bartender immediately greeting them. when aris looked up at the man, he froze slightly. it was the guy. the same guy from the subway. the same guy he bumped into. it was _miche,_ but aris didnt know that. the guy simply didnt speak a word. aris quickly pulled out his phone and went to move of his social media apps, scrolling aimlessly.

"hello, let me have a beer and a .." reiner looked over at aris, nudging him for an answer. the anxious brunette looked up at reiner then at the tall male, smiling awkwardly.

"just a shirley temple, please." the shaggy blonde, _miche_ , simply nods, sliding an open beer towards reiner before making aris's beverage. reiner turns in his chair so he is facing the rest of the restaurant, swiftly examining everyone.

"see anyone catch your eye?" questioned reiner as he took a swig of his beer. aris took a glance around before shrugging. "no not really. but then again, more people will be coming in later, it _is s_ aturday."

reiner hummed in response, agreeing. aris's eyes quickly wondered back to the counter where the bartender placed his drink on a napkin in front of him. the brunette mumbled a quiet _'thank you'_ before taking a sip. he smiled with the straw between his lips. it was good.

as the night continued, more people gradually came in, watching the game, playing pool, eating, drinking. there were no bad vibes. it was a really nice atmosphere. aris caught his roommate glancing at one particular girl near the pool tables quite often before he facepalmed.

"go ahead .." aris suddenly said, making reiner snap his head back into his direction. his cheeks flushed a soft pink before he rubbed the back of his nape, chuckling shyly.

"are you sure? i don't want to leave you hanging .."

"its fine. i'll be here, drinking my shirley temple. or _temples_ , maybe. go have fun." aris pushed him off his chair, making him stand before laughing as he watched reiner cotront the girl, acting bashful. it was quite entertaining to see the one and only flirty reiner begin to crack under just one girl.

around half an hour into the night, reiner was playing pool with the girl and some of her friends, laughing to himself at how bad he was at the game. a small _clink_ grabbed aris's attention before he turned to see the same bartender from earlier placing another round of shirley temple in front of him.

"thank you." miche, the bartender, only nodded before going back to attend to other customers.

"hey wait," the _inhumanely_ taller blonde looked back at aris, tilted his head to the side. at the sight of this, aris could feel his cheeks heat but before clearing his throat. he was _cute._ "im sorry about bumping into you the other day. i wasn't paying attention." he simply smiled at the brunette in front of him and shrugged it off before tending to other customers.

if only aris knew.

°°°

aris made small talk with a few people at the bar, often watching reiner have his fun. he was so approachable. aris always secretly envied him for it, but nonetheless he was happy for his friend getting out every once in a while.

but overtime, aris began to feel sluggish and nauseated. which was weird due to the fact he had only been drinking shirley temples, half way done with his third one.

resting an elbow on the bar, aris buried his head in his hand, groaning softly. he sipped more of his drink to see if it would help, but it simply made it worse. as it got later into the night, more people came into the bar. the loudness of everything made aris's headache worse. everything had an echo. finally having enough, he slowly stood up before slowly making his way towards his chair, his vision becoming clouded.

the sudden silence of the bathroom made aris's ears ring as he stumbled over towards the sinks. staring at his reflection, a quiet whimper slipped past his lips as he felt his body temperature began to rise.

"hey ..someone— ..hey i need— i need help.." his voice was just above a whisper, completely doubting anyone heard. a wave nausea came over him again and he ran into a stall, retching into the toilet. tears stung his eyes as he threw up the chinese food he ate hours ago. quickly flushing the contents, he sat atop of the toilet sideways and slumped against the stall wall. his vision merged together, his tears definitely not helping as his head spun. his body was on fire. he felt like death itself.

"want some help?"

a gruff voice pulled him out of his thoughts, squinting his hazel eyes as a figure came into view in the open stall door.

"help me please— i don't feel so— ..i'm burning up .." aris's words trailed off was he began to cry, hugging himself. the man towered over the scared brunette, running his fingers through his hair. aris could felt a hand go up his shirt, making his body jerk from the sudden touch.

"hey what are you— stop.." the stranger felt up his chest before leaning into him. he whispered _disgusting,_ inappropriate things into his ear, a surge of adrenaline rushing through aris. aris pushed the man off of him with as much force as possible, swatting his hands around him so his predator couldnt touch him. that tactic quickly failed when the man grabbed his wrists and held them above aris's head.

"just relax sweetheart ..it won't hurt much."

"no ..no let me go.! reiner ..reiner!" yelled aris. aris was sobbing now, thrashing around under the guy. he felt so weak, his movements probably were doing no good to try and stop his predator. the man groaned and breathed next to his ear while aris tried to move away as much as possible. clinking of a belt being undone could be heard. though for aris, it was faint and echoed lightly. aris closed his eyes and finally stopping fighting, his body going limp. he could feel his pants being undone. he was going in and out of consciousness and he had zero strength left anymore, tears running like waterfalls.

the man's sounds were then interrupted by a different sound. a groan. not an erotic one, but a painfilled one. aris opened one of his heavy, watery eyelids to see two blurry figures. one of the ground and one standing, hovering over the opposite. aris leaned off the toilet, falling onto the cool tile floor with a fear filled, broken cry.

"reiner .." he cried out, praying the standing figure was him. aris then heard the bathroom door opening, seeing another figure walk in.

"aris— " as soon as the third person, reiner, looked at his roommate on the floor crying. his heart almost audibly broke. he looked over to see a beaten up guy being held by the bartender, _miche ._

rage filled reiner, rage like no other emotion he had ever felt, and he grabbed aris's predator from miche, damn near beating him dead.

"hey! i'll handle him, take care of your friend and get him home." the shaggy blonde pulled off reiner, making his drop the now unconscious man before pushing him over to the stall where aris is. reiner took only a few seconds to control himself so he wouldn't hurt his scared roommate, slowly and carefully picking aris up bridal style. walking out of the bathroom, he used aris's jacket to cover his face as people turned their heads.

_"what happened to him?"_

_"is he okay?"_

_"hey look at their hands .."_

aris heard a mix of words and peeked out of a crevice where his jacket wasn't covering, seeing several blurred figures.

"make sure to call the police. and hey, thank you, thank you for saving him." the half awake brunette didnt bother listening to the rest of the conversation. everything was spinning. it was so loud but so quiet. next thing aris knew, he could feel himself being placed in a car before curling up in the seat.

reiner had placed him in his passenger's seat before starting the car and driving home. he often glanced over at his roommate, making sure he was still breathing and still aware, even if there were little signs. 

his hands gripped the wheel out of anger before reiner's honey brown eyes noticed his knuckles were splattered with blood and were beginning to bruise over. when they got home, reiner quickly went over to aris's door and opened it, easily picking up the boy bridal style again. they got to their apartment and the blonde heads to his room, gently placing aris on his bed.

reiner stared at the smaller male for a few seconds, almost wanting to cry. he felt so bad for leaving him alone. the blonde male took off his shirt and jeans, switching into his grey sweats. he then walked into his bathroom and carefully washed off his hands, examining his knuckles. they were sure to bruise. the human face _does_ have bones after all.

_"hn ...reiner .."_

reiner immediately exited his bathroom to aris crying again. his heart ached once more.

"hey i'm here. it's me ..reiner's here." reiner slowly sat on the edge of the bed near aris and held him up, wiping his tears with his thumb. he pulled aris into a long hug, stroking his hair in a comforting way. he scent calmed him. reiner then kissed his head and continued to hold him until he calmed down again.

when he did calm down, reiner pulled the semi-conscious brunette away from his chest to examine him. his eyes are slightly red and his long lashes stuck together from his tears. his cheeks were damp and cool from crying and his nose was slightly red. reiner frowned deeply at the sight, caressing his roommate's cheek with his thumb.

"we've got to get you out of these clothes. im going to change you okay? but i'm not going touch you unless you give me clear permission. so aris, may i change your clothes?" the taller male held aris's face up for an answer, but aris was still clearly dazed and drugged since he didnt respond.

"aris baby, come on. you gotta give me some type of answer." reiner gently tapped aris's cheek a few times with his fingers, trying to keep him coherent.

_"mmn_ _—_ _..'kay ..."_ mumbled aris, nodding slowly while he held onto reiner's arm, trying to keep himself steady. reiner sighed softly before slowly pulling off aris's shirt, then his jeans and shoes.

as he was neatly folding his clothes, something in his mind clicked. he looked back at aris and placed the back of his hand on aris's thigh. 

"c-cold .." this made the brunette flinch at the sudden coolness of his hand. the blonde quickly took his hand away, rubbing the back of it with his opposite. aris was hot, temperature wise. he was burning up. it must've been the drug. reiner got up, grabbed one of his sleeping shirts and pulled it over aris's body. it stopped at his thighs. aris suddenly let out a quiet whimper, rubbing his legs together, his hands in between them.

"reiner ..hot— ...its hot.. "

"i know. it'll wear off soon. you're gonna be okay." reiner then rushed out the room to grab a cold bottle of water before walking back into his room. he held aris up once more and leaned his back slightly, putting the bottle to his mouth and whispered to him to sip it slowly.

after letting aris take a few sips, he placed the water on his night stand beside the bed before climbing into bed next to his roommate. he pulled him close, trying to cool him off. reiner's body was much more cooler than aris's and aris must've noticed this, considering he scooted closer. he then gradually climbed onto his chest.

reiner froze in place, blinking a couple of times before realizing their position. aris was on top of him, legs on each side of reiner's waist. the only thing aris had on was a big shirt and his underwear, while reiner only had sweat pants on. _only_ sweatpants. reiner breathed in slowly through his nose before closing his eyes, trying to sleep. just as he was finally falling asleep, something touched his lips.

aris. aris's lips were on his. the brunette let out a quiet moan into the currently one-sided kiss, making reiner react quickly. he pushed aris off of him onto the bed, covering his mouth out of shock.

"aris why did you— ..." aris whined in a weak tone and rubbed his legs together once more, visibly frustrated. tears threatened to fall again.

"reiner please ..please just— ..it— it's so.. hot .." aris was mumbling so much from the drug, reiner almost couldn't understand him. reiner was flushed a complete bright pink and tensed as aris climbing him again, straddling his lap. the blonde mame looked away and covered his mouth. this is what he wanted from aris yes, but not like this. not when he is under the influence. he held his urge to devour him right then and there because he could never take advantage of when he can't give clear consent. he _would_ never.

_"reiner..."_

aris whined his name again, eyelids half open. slowly, he grabbed the flustered male's face so they were facing each other before leaning in closely.

_please don't do this to me. shit shit ..not like this._ reiner's mind was running in circles, mentally arguing with the devil and angel on his shoulders. aris leaned in and captured his lips again, kissing him slowly and drunkenly. several seconds went by for reiner gave in, kissing back at the same slow pace but with a hint of needy and hunger. he pulled aris closer, if that was even possible and entangled his fingers in his almond hair, listening to aris moan quietly into his mouth. reiners kissing became needier and faster out of frustration before he finally pulled aris off. due to the fact the drugged male was still so weak, when he was pulled off, his head leaned back heavily, still clearly dazed.

_"mm ..rein_ _—_ _"_

"no. you need to sleep. just please ..sleep. goodnight aris." reiner laid him down and replaced himself with a pillow for his roommate to hug before exiting the room after leaving the door cracked. he walked towards the linen closet down the hall and grabbed a folded blanket off the shelf, laying down on the couch.

"fucking hell.." whispered reiner, his mind now too active for him to sleep.

°°°°°

_4073_

_so....reiner calling aris baby amiright?_

_chile anyways...ya like jazz?_

_PFFT i h8 myself pls._

_i wonder who was getting it off in the beginning..._

_leave kudos and commments or whatever_

_(im jk i love yalls comments they make me happy)_

_remember, im blind so sorry for typos_

_잘있어 내 친구들_

_[jal-iss-eo nae chingudeul] ♡_

_january 14th 2021, 2:09pm_

_e.s_


	6. Post Anxiety.

aris woke up to his arms and legs wrapped around a pillow. when he opened his eyes, a headache slowly came over him. he slowly adjusted to the darkness before realizing he wasn't in his room. it was reiner's. he could tell by the scent the room had and his window was on the opposite side where it usually is. the bed was also _much_ wider.

it was almost 6am when he had awoken. confused, the brunette slowly sat up, holding his head as he looked around. reiner wasnt with him. aris closed his eyes, trying to remember last night. he knows he didn't drink, so why is he having a hard time recalling last night?

as he mentally began to retrace his footsteps. everything slowly comes back to him. everything was connecting, like a long train with hundreds of train carts passing through a tunnel. from when he saw the tall, blonde stranger working the bar to when reiner had found him on the restroom floor. as he mind began racing, his heart started racing too. aris's breathing picked up as he gradually began to hyperventilate. tears burned his eyes as his body felt heavy. it wasn't long till his covered his mouth to quiet his loud sobs.

as if on cue, reiner bursts through the room door, startling aris greatly from the sudden loud noise. aris looked at him, a helpless expression taking over his face. reiner immediately climbs into bed with embraces him, the brunettes tears wetting his clavicle.

"sh sh ..breathe aris, breathe." aris swallowed thickly before forcing himself to take slow, shaky, deep breaths. he did so until his breathing slowed.

"you're okay. tell me what happened aris." the shaken male gently pulled away from reiner's arms to look at him. he used the hem of the shirt we was wearing to wipe his tears.

"i woke up a-and— ..i was confused on why i was in your bed and then i started remembering everything and— and.." heavy emotion rushed over him again, tears falling. the blonde quickly pulled him in a hug once more, shushing him quietly.

"i remember everything reiner— up to the point where you found me. i was s-so scared— so scared that he was going to— ..to do things to me and you wouldn't have found me .." aris began to cry all over again. it hurt reiner, like a hot knife stabbed him through his heart. it hurt to see aris so scared. so _traumatized._ reiner himself felt tears slowly fill the outline of his eyes. he cursed to himself mentally before pulling aris away from his chest, cupping his face.

"you're safe now. we're home. the police was called and you do have to go in and make a statement. not right now but in the future." the smaller brunette nodded slowly, leaning back into aris's chest. they laid down together in bed, reiner running his fingers through aris's hair. as the hour passed, reiner had fallen asleep again. but aris, he couldn't sleep. everytime he closed his eyes, everything replayed right in front of him.

by the time he was _almost_ asleep, it was time to get up. once aris was sure reiner was sleeping fully, he slowly removed himself from his arms and climbed out of the bed. his feet carried him to his room where he then took a shower and got dressed for the day. before he left, he grabbed a sticky note and wrote the words:

"went to school then work. the usual. thank you, love you."  
  
and with that, aris left the apartment and made his way torwards the subway. aris noticed how much quieter it was. less people on the street, less cars. yet somehow the subway was always so crowded. the brunette's eyes quickly glanced around as he walked past many people. he felt as if all eyes were on him. he soon broke into a cold sweat how of anxiousness, gripping his bag.

 _breathe aris_ _. breathe .._

aris took a few seconds to calm himself, breathing in and out to himself as he entered his train, slightly teary eyed. he knew making a scene wasnt going to do any good so he continued to quietly do his breathing exercises.

_"_ _aris."_

his mind became tangled as he pieced scenes of last night together, going over it over and over again in his mind. how'd they drug him so easily? were they targeting him?

"aris ..aris are you alright?" aris was pulled away from his thoughts from someone calling his name. subconsciously, he reached back and grabbed onto a hand, flinching at his own careless action.

"miche?" he whispered, hearing a deep inhale through the nose.

"as always." aris sighed in slight relief before resting his head on the holding pole. what would he have done if it wasn't miche? he mentally cursed at himself before running his thumb over miche's knuckles. this was the first time they had ever .. _touched_.

"is something wrong, aris? you seem out of it today." the male stayed quiet as he caressed miche's fingers. every crevice of his joints and knuckles, painting a mental picture. the urge to look back at his stranger was nearly killing him but his stubbornness was stopping him. it felt like a movie to him. speaking without knowing. touching without seeing.

"i just ..i just want to touch you. hold your hand i mean— i don't want to talk today, is that okay?"

"of course."

miche's heart skipped a few beats. emboldened, he slowly began to intertwined their fingers. his thumb grazed over the back of aris's hand. a comfortable, warm silence came over them, occasionally drawing circles on one another's dorsal side of their hands with their thumbs. both their hearts beating faster than normal.

aris could feel miche hovering over him closer than usual, yet he wanted more. it felt like being addicted to something you've never had. his mind began to wander to _certain_ things. he wondered how big miche's hand would be compared to his waist, his hips, his thighs. the thought nearly gave him goosebumps. the thought of being under miche made aris intake a sharp, slow breath. he closed his earthy colored eyes and controlled his thoughts as he heard the train intercom come on.

"aris, you shouldn't think such things in such a public place. i hope you feel better."

aris's heart dropped. he froze, feeling miche's hand slowly withdraw from his grip. his face flushed a bright red. _did that really happen? how'd he know? what the hell?_

_deeply_ disturbed, aris walked to school silently, anxiety rushing over him once more.

°°°

aris had his gaze diverted downward into his book. well, not necessarily. more like he was staring at his hand. he slowly rubbed his fingers together, as if they were already missing miche's.

_"hey ..dude."_

he sighed quietly, running a hand through his hair before biting down on his lip. slightly hesitant to do so, he flipped a page and began to draw miche's name in a graffiti-like style, the edge of his mouth curving up slightly.

"aris!" startled, aris jumped a little to hard for his liking, knocking his notebook of his desk. he sighed before picking up his fallen notebook before glaring at the boy next to him.

"what the hell connie?" he whispered harshly before noticing the whole class was staring at him. aris shrunk slightly in his seat before making eye contact with his teacher.

"if you're done daydreaming aris, perhaps you can answer the question on the board?" his professor, mr. erwin smith, arched one of his thick eyebrows as he pointed to the white board with small cell drawings on it.

"o-oh— the virus attacks the stomach lining, causing the epithelial cells of the stomach lining to deconstruct, then causing severe dehydration and the dog loses nutrients." the professor stared at him for a few seconds before turning away to the board.

"correct, but please pay attention next time." aris slumped in his seat in relief before rubbing his eyes. he was tired, but sleep was not an option right now.

"dude ..you okay? you seem ..depressed." aris couldn't help but laugh at connie's words because they were half true. he straightened his posture before smiling over at his friend.

"i'm okay, really. you should be paying attention though, considering you almost failed the last exam." the short haired male chewed on the inside of his cheek as he glared at him, soon turning his eyes torwards the teacher. aris chuckled under his breath before grabbing his jacket.

genuinely wishing to be in his bed, he went to grab his phone to check the time. as he did, he noticed something fell out his jacket pocket. aris narrowed his eyes before reaching down to grab the small piece of white paper off the floor.

there, on the paper were 10 digits on the folded piece of paper. a phone number. above the phone number was miche's name. he smiled big to himself and quickly put it in his pocket before anyone could question him about it and tried to pay attention in class as much as possible.

°°°

it was a rather quiet day at work. things were slower, which was always rare. aris worked at his desk, taking phone calls every now and then and making appointments. levi was working silently. it was so quiet you could hear the scratching of his pen on his papers.

"aris, make me a cup will you?" aris looked up from his screen before nodding silently. he aimlessly walked torwards the counter and poured his boss a cup of tea. levi raises a brow at how quiet the boy is before brushing it off. as aris brung the him his tea, levi stares at the cup on his desk before looking up at aris.

"oi, it isnt hot. you forget how to work the electric kettle pretty boy?" aris seemed to snap out of some sort of daze after levi's words because after he said that, he became slightly embarrassed. he seemed to show more emotion then since he came into work.

"i-im sorry about that sir!" as aris heads back to the counter, heating the kettle, levi takes a glance at his secretary. something wasnt right. his vibe was .. _off_. aris stood at the counter, gazed diverted onto the counter. he seemed to be spacing out. levi examined male's posture and aura. aris was slouching and his face resembled a sad puppy. his eye colors seemed more dull. as a matter of fact, he looked like he was lacking sleep.

aris could feel his boss's eye practically burning into the back of his head, but he didn't question it. the brunette brought his tea to levi silently. as levi grabbed his tea, the pads of his fingers brushed over aris's, startling aris from the sudden touch. his hands let go of the cup to soon,dropping and spilling the tea all on levi's desk.

"oi! fucking hell!" levi yelled, swiftly moving his laptop and most of the paper off the now _wet_ desk, and in his chair. levi's yelling startled aris, making him flinch hard and he quickly shielded himself. his throat closed up from anxiety as tears filled the edges of his eyes. he was beginning to panic.

_"i-im sorry ..im sorry i_ _— .._ _i just_ _—"_

"just what? you suddenly dont know how to hold a _goddamn_ cup? you're lucky none of the damaged papers were actually significant, dammit aris." mumbled his boss, grabbing several paper towels from next to the kettle and swiftly wiped his desk down. levi pinched the bridge of his nose, sighing deeply before looking up at his secretary. but before he could speak something, he froze from slight shock. his heart slightly dropped out of his chest and nearly out of his ass. aris had his mouth covered as tears began to spill down his cheeks, practically on the verge of losing it.

levi quickly placed the roll of paper towels and slowly walked over to the trembling male.

_"aris ..?"_ levi's tone was much softer now. as he went to touch the brunette, aris flinched away from his hand, forcing himself to look in his boss's eyes. levi felt a slight sting in his heart as aris moved away from his hand, thinking he was going to hurt him. but he ignored it, continuing to try to comfort the poor boy.

"aris, i'm not going to hurt you. understand?" levi slowly spoke before trying to touch aris's arm again. this time, the aris allowed him to, breaking down completely. he fell into levi, almost startling the shorter ravenette. they slowly crouched down to the floor, the older embracing the younger as he cried into his shoulder. levi's heart was pounding from anxiety, his stomach twisting. his face might not of shown all of it but he was definitely worried. this was completely out of aris's character.

they stayed holding each other for around 5 minutes, sitting in a comfortable but uneasy silence. levi began to stroke his soft almond curls, hearing aris's cries die down to sniffles.

"aris." levi suddenly said, making aris peek up at him from his wet shoulder.

"you aren't the type to cry over spilled tea, so explain." levi ordered in a blunt tone. but it wasnt his normal monotone voice, it was more of a protecting and caring one. it sounded like he wanted to kill whoever hurted his pretty bo— .. _aris_.

aris slowly sat up to reveal his face, wiping his cheeks with his sleeve. his eye color was much greener than before, most likely from his tears. his nose was a gentle shade of red, his cheeks damp. the brunette sat in a 'w' position with his legs, finally looking at his boss with such a gloom expression. levi knew it was wrong to think about, but aris was adorable when he looked sad. he just wanted to hold him and kiss his forehead and whisper sweet nothing's into his ear. but levi's pride and careless demeanor _definitely_ wouldn't let him.

"i, uhm .. _levi_ .."

levi's heart damn near stopped when aris's said his first name. it rolled off his tongue so smoothly, almost sending bloodrush down south.

"..please give me more to recover before i talk about it, please?" the ravenette stared at him for several seconds as if he was trying to figure out a puzzle, before closing his eyes, nodding. just as levi was about to stand, he felt a tuff on his sleeve, making him look back down in confusion.

"can we stay down here for a little longer? please?" immediately, levi looked away, trying to make it seem like he was staring at his desk. he didn't dare blush in front of his secretary. taking in a deep breath, levi exhaled slowly before sitting back down on the floor. he wrapped his arms around aris once more and rested his chin on top of the brunettes head before scoffing.

"you're lucky my floor is clean brat." his semi-snarky comment made aris cover his mouth to quiet his laugh. this made levi secretly smile himself, closing his eyes to enjoy aris's warmth and scent.

°°°°°

_2541_

_hi (: i understand this is a little ..late?_

_school has started so updates will be much slower._

_so uh, the hand holding amiright?_

_also the ratio of my bookmarks to my hits.._

_makes no sense ._._

_& pls leave comments i love reading them ;-;_

_sorry for typosss._

_anyways, later dweebsss_

_january 24th, 2021. 2:00am_


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